cat's-paw

cat's-paw

A person who is used by another to achieve some end, especially in a duplicitous or cynical manner. Taken from a fable about a monkey who uses a cat's paw to retrieve chestnuts from a fire. I thought that Jake really loved me, but in the end, I was just a cat's-paw so he could stir up jealousy in his ex-boyfriend.

cat's paw

A dupe or tool for another, a sucker, as in You always try to make a cat's paw of me, but I refuse to do any more of your work. This term alludes to a very old tale about a monkey that persuades a cat to pull chestnuts out of the fire so as to avoid burning its own paws. The story dates from the 16th century and versions of it (some with a dog) exist in many languages.

Trees, Effigies, Moving Objects: A Sequence of Eighteen Poems was published by Glover's latest imprint, The Catspaw Press, but was printed under his close supervision at the Pegasus Press in Christchurch.

The event, sponsored by Chesterbased Aaron and Partners LLP Solicitors attracted entries from both professional and amateur artists, but it was Corwen resident Gerald who received pounds 1,000 for his oil landscape Catspaws off the Land, which shows a mountainous landscape with a choppy sea.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.